City Harvest Church ex-finance chief charged with 10 criminal charges

Singapore Straits-Times/July 25, 2012

City Harvest Church -- ex-finance chief Serina Wee, 35, was charged on Wednesday morning with 10 criminal charges - six for criminal breach of trust and four for falsifying accounts - over her alleged role in siphoning church funds at City Harvest Church.

She is the 6th person charged in the alleged misuse of funds case. Bail for Wee was set at $500,000 while that for the other five, including founding pastor Kong Hee, had been extended.

Earlier, Kong arrived at the Subordinate Court on Wednesday at 8.55am for a second mention in a high-profile case involving alleged misuse of millions in church funds.

He was the last among the senior church members charged a month ago to enter Court 26, with at least 100 church members inside the gallery and another 100 more standing outside the courtroom.

Kong was not accompanied by his wife Ho Yeow Sun this time.

Kong, 47, and church management board member John Lam Leng Hung, 44, face three charges of criminal breach of trust.

Kong's deputy Tan Ye Peng, 39; church finance manager Sharon Tan Shao Yuen, 36; and investment manager Chew Eng Han, 52 - face between seven and 10 charges of criminal breach of trust and falsifying accounts.

The first offence draws a maximum of 10 years' jail, and or a fine. The second, which Kong's charges come under, is punishable with a life sentence, or jail of up to 20 years and a fine.

An alleged $24 million from the mega-church's building fund was put into sham bond investments.

These investments in turn were channelled to finance the music career of Kong's pop celebrity wife Ho, 42. A further $26.6 million was allegedly used to cover up the initial $24 million.

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